The blast on the crimson hide made Thurex jolt his head back and roared, “You will pay for that, Dragonrider!” Talonth then fired a sunbeam ray from his silvery eyes at Krekon to keep him away. The bright yellow-orange beams partially hit Krekon’s underbelly, doing half the normal damage, for it was hard for Talonth to be accurate with Thurex dragging him from the sky. Strikenth and Padonan saw Talonth’s predicament and turned to help their friend, but they were met by Voltex’s squadron. The blue dragon directed his wing of dragons to send a barrage of spell-based lightning bolts and the blue chromatic’s breath weapons to stop him. He had to veer away, being struck by at least ten of the forty bolts directed at him, after he hit one of the greens with an icy beam, which finished it off. His shield was almost gone from the onslaught of fiery bolts, and he now faced eight chromatic dragons.
CHAPTER VII
Counterstrike
“Mkel, Talonth is in trouble! We must go,” Gallanth said out loud to his rider. Mkel looked over to Tegent, sitting on his griffon, and nodded as he bowed his head in prayer.
“Dear Creator, I pray for the courage to confront this evil; grant Gallanth the strength to answer this challenge,” Mkel whispered, as he grabbed the mithril silver triangle on his neck chain, the symbol of the Alliance Triad religion. Don’t worry, my friend, we have his blessings, Gallanth answered. His gold dragon’s confidence always had a soothing effect on Mkel’s prebattle anxiety. “Time to spring the trap, my friend,” Mkel answered and then scrambled up to his saddle.
Gallanth rose up on all fours and stretched out his wings as Jodem’s illusion spell disappeared. With two forward steps and a powerful heft, they were airborne. Tegent’s griffon rose up behind and to the left of the gold dragon, to use the upward rushing air ricocheting off of the ground from Gallanth’s downdraft to catapult him into the sky. Tegent was accustomed to taking off beside a dragon, which if done in the wrong location could slam even a griffon to the ground.
Strikenth tried again to fly through the phalanx of chromatics and exchanged breath weapon fire with the blues. He struck Voltex’s shield with a direct hit from his icy breath weapon, almost blasting him out of the sky. Padonan’s spinning glaive sliced the right shoulder of Arathus’s indigo blue hide. Klaxtor did manage to hit Strikenth in the side with a lightning bolt that left a nasty burn on his silvery hide. The undeterred silver dragon dove, turning away quickly, and maneuvered around for a second attempt.
Strikenth and Padonan swung up and around to try to break through the wall of chromatic dragons blocking their way. As he charged down into the fray, he fired a sunburst beam that hit and seared through Voltex’s shield, striking him in the chest and pushing him back off course. Arathus and Klaxtor fired lightning bolts at him once he was in range; one overshot him, and the other just singed his tail. The silver’s speed was greater than the chromatics were used to trying to hit in midair. An icy blast response hit Klaxtor’s shield, smashing the remnants of its strength, and struck him with its remaining power on his neck and left shoulder. The blue dragon emitted a high-pitched squeal and veered off.
The determined silver then streaked past the reeling blues and attempted to break through the attacking greens and blacks. A black dragon flew directly in Strikenth’s path, and was met with the silver dragon’s open talons, which tore into him. One claw grabbed the smaller black’s neck, and the other struck its shoulder, with both sinking deep into the rough dark hide. The black dragon was already severely wounded and could not take the impact from the larger and much stronger silver; he was finished.
As Strikenth let the dead black dragon go and roared the Draconic prayer, Padonan threw his glaive at an advancing green dragon, which cut deep into the evergreen hide on its left side, causing it to veer off. A green dragon and a black dragon then hit Strikenth from both flanks, swiping at him with their front claws. The agile silver immediately turned 180 degrees in a split second, slashing the black dragon with his talons and pounding the green with his large dorsal finned tail. This quick action pushed both attackers away, but Strikenth had to back wing quickly to avoid the diving attack from the other two black and green dragons. By this time, the three blues had re-formed and were bearing down on him, so he had to break contact and dive away to come back at them again.
A powerful sunburst beam hit Thurex hard on his flank, knocking him away from Talonth. Gallanth followed up the strike with a deep challenge roar that echoed across the plains. Mkel followed his dragon’s attack with an exploding-tipped bolt that struck Krekon’s left wing, blowing a good-sized hole in it in spite of its heavily armored density, and forced the red dragon to break away. Talonth shook off the painful wound from the bite and quickly flew away from the reds. “You’ve entered into the eye of the storm, demon dragon,” Gallanth roared.
“Where did you come from, gold dragon?” Thurex snarled defiantly to Gallanth.
“All that matters is where I am going to send you,” Gallanth roared back as he moved incredibly fast to intercept him.
“We shall see, monkey servant,” the red dragon growled, as he unleashed his last enhanced fire breath at the charging gold dragon. The purplish line of fire partially struck Gallanth’s shield as he veered to avoid the full impact, but this didn’t even slow him down as he hit Thurex in midair with a resonating thud, as the two colossal bodies collided. Gallanth’s front two talons penetrated deep into the red dragon’s thick hide, but he couldn’t connect with a follow-up bite, as Thurex managed to push himself free of the gold dragon’s grip. Gallanth was surprised at his increased strength, for even though red dragons were second only to gold dragons in physical strength, the melding of the dark crystal made this one almost as powerful as him.
Thurex was also not used to aerial wrestling with a dragon that was as strong as he was, so brute force alone would not work.
“Your dark crystal heart gives you great strength, Thurex; too bad it will be of no use to you after I send you to your repentance,” Gallanth taunted. “You couldn’t even handle a silver dragon on your own. So much for the theory of the all powerful Morgathian selvachs.”
“I am no servant, gold dragon. I answer to no one”, Thurex roared back angrily.
“Then who sent you here, the death knight overlord? I share a bond with my rider. You are just a pet to serve a human’s will, so go back now and cower your head to your master, selvach,” Gallanth said, continuing to insult him. The infuriated Thurex roared and lurched forward, hefting his wings down with all his might to charge the hovering gold dragon. This is what Gallanth was hoping for, to play on the renowned red dragon vanity and make him attack, thus throwing him off balance in his rage.
Thurex charged Gallanth with his huge pointed jaws gaping open. Mkel fired a well-aimed exploding mithril-tipped bolt, which struck the red dragon on the top of its head, blowing off one of the two main eye horns at its base above the left eye socket. This was not an easy feat, considering that red dragon hide and horns are the third strongest armor known. The blast knocked Thurex’s head to the right and, coupled with a plasma fireball from Gallanth that blasted the red’s shoulder, sent him slightly off course. This allowed Gallanth to move up slightly and come down on the charging red dragon, delivering a devastating bite and claw attack on its neck, shoulder, and side.
Gallanth’s powerful jaws sank into the base of Thurex’s neck, with his thirty-six-inch fangs tearing into the dark crimson hide. Its neck vertebrae were crushed, along with deep claw strikes inflicted on the red dragon’s upper neck and side. Nothing can stand up to a gold dragon’s powerful crushing bite. It could tear a giant in two, or even snap dragon bones like twigs. The combined strike was too much for Thurex, and he was finished.
Gallanth let out a resounding combined victory roar and prayer for the soul of the red. The deep bellow echoed across the plains, which distracted Krekon in seeing the elder dragon fall. Talonth had banked around hard and came back
at the stunned red dragon, hitting him with an icy blast, which was combined with a fire bolt from Lordan’s lance. The well-placed strikes seared off his left wing, deeply penetrating the dark red hide, and killed him instantly. He immediately was sent plummeting after his master.
Talonth’s roar emanated almost immediately after Gallanth’s died down. Both metallic dragons slowly glided toward each other, as Lordan raised his lance in a sign of victory and thanks. Mkel quickly disconnected his crossbow and raised it in a return salute. “Thank you for the help, Gallanth,” Talonth spoke out loud to his friend in Draconic.
“For the master of our sister Weir, Eladran, I am glad to be of assistance. Now let’s help that young Capital dragon,” Gallanth replied with an almost upbeat tone, showing his respect for the fight the two silver dragons had given. They both turned toward the wing of chromatics, with Strikenth still struggling to break past them. They roared to signal their attack and cast a negation spell at their enemies to prevent them from teleporting away. This way, they would have to stay and fight.
“Tegent, we are moving to attack the remaining chromatics. Watch our backs, but keep clear of them, for they will be infuriated at the death of their master,” Mkel said through his crystal.
“I’ll watch your backs and mine,” Tegent said back with a smile as his griffon turned around and began to follow the two metallic dragons.
“I have faith, my minstrel friend,” Mkel answered. Talonth, fall in behind me, for my shield still has strength, Gallanth conveyed telepathically to the silver dragon, which he immediately maneuvered behind his tail. Voltex and the other three blue dragons instantly moved to intercept the attacking metallic dragons.
“Batuul, come with us. We need at least a two-to-one ratio with this gold dragon. Saarex, lead the other two against the silver, Voltex commanded the black dragon.
“What? I need all the help I can get with this silver, desert dweller, I cannot spare him and we can’t teleport out now,” the green dragon angrily replied.
“We all have our challenges, now do as you’re told or you will have me and the metallics to deal with,” Voltex roared back and turned to charge into the fast approaching Gallanth, who then fired a sunburst beam. The powerful light rays struck Arathus directly in the chest and shoulder. The deadly beams penetrated deep into the blue dragon’s shoulder, almost flipping him over in midair. The wounded blue squealed in pain and then opened his jaws, firing a lightning bolt at his attacker. Gallanth dodged the electric blast by diving and then quickly rose to avoid the bolt fired by Klaxtor, but a third one from Voltex hit his shield as if they had bracketed him. The invisible barrier still held strong as he continued his attack.
Mkel, fire an exploding bolt at the blue on the left to force him up, Gallanth told his rider. Without hesitation, Mkel took aim and fired the bolt, aiming just under Klaxtor’s belly. The small projectile struck the dragon on the left front foot. While this did not do much damage, only injuring the blue’s talon, it forced Klaxtor up from the explosion. Gallanth then opened his massive jaws and fired a plasma fireball. The glowing fiery sphere of energy streaked toward Klaxtor and struck him squarely in the base of his neck. The blue dragon immediately fell out of formation from the impact; he was severely injured but was not yet felled.
Talonth emerged from behind Gallanth and fired an icy beam that struck Arathus on the right shoulder and flank, finishing him off. The dead blue nose-dived toward the earth, still smoldering from the hit from Gallanth, and the parts of his hide that were frozen solid by Talonth shattered and flew off of him as he fell.
Voltex immediately attempted to veer away from Gallanth before they met in midair for a tooth and claw fight, but Gallanth caught him and they exchanged slashes. Batuul took advantage of this and dove on Gallanth. The gold dragon’s unique power of foresight sensed this, and he tried to maneuver his hindquarter and tail away from the stream of fiery acid the vile black dragon spit at him. Only a small portion of the flaming virulent liquid hit his upper tail, which only circumvented Gallanth’s shield because Batuul flew within a couple of yards from him, but it still made him wince.
Getting this close to fire his acid cost the black dragon a high price. Gallanth whirled his huge tail around and struck the attacking chromatic with the hardened plate bone on the end of his tail, which both sliced into its lower back and flank and broke the smaller dragon’s rear right leg. Mkel quickly turned his crossbow’s swivel mount and fired an exploding-tipped bolt, striking Batuul’s right wing and side. Tegent, who had yelled to warn of the attacking black dragon, fired an arrow from his enhanced bow, which struck it on the opposite side. The arrow burrowed deep, transferring the energy given to it by his silver dragonstone into the evil beast.
Mkel quickly cocked his crossbow and fired another exploding-tipped bolt at the injured and fleeing black dragon, which hit it in the center of its lower back. The explosion finished Batuul off, and his power dive turned into a death fall.
Ashram observed the dragon fight, and to his horror, he saw the demon dragon and the other red fall. He had witnessed the power of gold and silver dragons as a young apprentice during the Great War, but they now seemed even stronger. Thurex did not even kill any of the silvers. He knew it was only a matter of time now until the other chromatics were vanquished, and this gold dragon seemed particularly powerful as well as huge. The dragonriders give them a distinct edge. That must be their weak point. Kill them, and metallics won’t be quite as strong, he thought to himself. “Togar!” he screamed into his dark crystal staff at the dragon spawn chieftain.
“Yes, my lord,” the man/dragon creature responded with its deep but raspy hissing voice.
“Bring your entire company to me, and tell that cowardly mountain giant to lead his pod to attack the legion’s right flank,” the sorcerer ordered.
“Ashram, their land dragons are not vanquished, and Grummel’s tribe has not arrived,” the mountain giant replied in an irritated tone, as he was beside Togar when Ashram signaled.
“Do as you’re told, or I will kill you myself,” Ashram ordered.
The giant grumbled and yelled over to the seven common giants congregating behind him, as he picked up his huge spiked mace and shield. The hundred or more dragon spawn creatures launched into the air, following their chieftain, who headed toward the hovering sorcerer’s nightmare steed.
Jodem had just finished off the last beholder. The sunburst ray from his staff blasted through the tentacle orb creature, sending it falling to the ground behind the line of soldiers, who were fighting for their lives. Just as he called over to Vatara, the sky erupted in the wing beats and war cries of the company of dragon spawn as they flew over the raging battlefield. Why didn’t they attack the legion? Jodem said to himself. They must be going to help the chromatics. The dragonriders! “Mkel, beware,” he said into his crystal. “There is a company of dragon spawn heading your way, and I think they are targeting you, Lordan, and Padonan.”
“Thanks for the warning, Jodem,” Mkel quickly answered through his seeing crystal.
Then deep echoes of the attacking giants rippled from behind the southern hills, signaling their advance. Jodem started to walk toward the point where the giants were going to come from, when Colonel Ponsellan ordered his reserve to commit and pushed his battalion forward in his personal attempt for glory in winning the battle. General Daddonan screamed through his seeing crystal for him to move back and re-form the line. Before the battalion could readjust, over forty orcs poured through the temporary seam between Ponsellan’s men and the adjacent battalion.
The orcs streamed through with weapons raised, screaming and running toward Jodem. The wizard turned and raised his staff, his ruby dragonstone glowing brightly. He uttered a few words in Draconic, and his staff emanated a light pulse that enveloped and stopped the first forty orcs that came through the break in the line. Their dark, sullen, insect-like eyes i
mmediately unfixed, almost as in a trance. Jodem spoke in orc and commanded them, “Protect your sorcerer.” As the spell was taking effect, six other orcs from the back of the group ran around their charmed comrades and moved to attack the concentrating wizard.
General Daddonan and Colonel Sheer met them with swords drawn. Daddonan, in spite of being in his late fifties, was surprisingly spry, meeting the first orc with a swift blow to its side. His dragonstone-powered long sword crackled with electricity, which blew the orc to the ground, killing him instantly. Sheer swung his large mithril alloy two-handed sword hard down on the next orc, breaking his raised rusty scimitar and carving through its tattered chain mail vest, sundering the creature. The other four soon fell to their comrades’ swords.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” Jodem spoke to them as soon as he could break from the concentration of his spell.
“Master Wizard, you need a bodyguard for this fight in facing the giants,” Colonel Sheer said with concern.
“I have forty at present,” he said looking at the orcs, with the legionnaires fighting their comrades just behind them. “Now I must deal with the giants,” he continued.
“Colonel Ronson, send a land dragon team with the Draden wizard and his orcs to halt these big brutes,” General Daddonan ordered through his crystal.
“Your help is most appreciated, General,” Jodem said.
“Orcs?” Ronson said.
“Relax, Colonel. They belong to the Weir wizard now. Just send your dragons,” Daddonan said with a quick smile. “Now Master Wizard, I must deal with an errant, self-serving battalion commander.” He then walked over to the battle line. Colonel Ronson called through his seeing crystal to two land dragon crews, who immediately disengaged from the battle. They moved back and to the right to join Jodem and his newly acquired orc platoon as the squad of giants, along with a couple of gnolls and orcs, emerged from behind the small hills to the south. The remaining land dragons readjusted to close the gap in the Alliance line. The Battle Point infantry were finally pushing the orcs and Morgathian infantry back. The odds were now more than evened up, in spite of three points in the line that had broken into open melee.
Dragon Alliance: Rise Against Shadow Page 39